Method and apparatus for decorating the edges of dishes



Sept. 12, 1950 J. H. KELLER 2,522,121

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DECORATING THE EDGES 0F DISHES Filed Feb. 16. 1945 O '1: 11 INVENTOR .9 a v I Patented Sept. 12, 1950 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DECORAT- ING THE EDGES OFDISHES Jay H. Keller, Sebring, Ohio Application February 16, 1945, Serial No. 578,200

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a method and machine for decorating articles of manufacture, and

it is directed particularly to the application of a decorative band, film or line of material at a peripheral edge or mouthof the article. The invention is disclosed particularly in relation to the application of a line or band of coloring material at the rim of a dish, cup, saucer or the like; for instance, a line of gold color which, in effect, forms a border of pleasing appearance.

I-Ieretofore the colors for the banding of dishware either have been painted on with a brush by a skilled artist, or have been rolled on by means of a roller placed upon the edge of the dish at one point and then traced peripherally all the way around the dish-back to the starting point. Either method obviously is a slow and tedious one and the results, depending upon the skill of the operator, frequently are far from perfect.

This invention is based upon the discovery that a line or band of color or other fluid material, uniform as to width and uniformly located in re lation to the dish rim, may be applied rapidly and conveniently by contacting the rim of the 'dish or article with a roller bearing a film of the decorating composition upon its surface, and rolling the roller across the surface of the dish in a linear direction, for instance, substantially diametrically thereof. The roller, of course, is somewhat greater in length than the diameter of the dish and, spaced substantially centrally upon the dish, contacts opposite points on the rim progressively during its movement, whereby a band of color material is transferred uniformly from the roller to the dish. The operation may be conducted in but a fraction of the time required in the methods heretofore employed, and improved results are obtained because no special care is required to insure uniformity whether the article be of regular or irregular contour. The roller has local contact only with the ware at any given moment during the decorating operation. For instance, in the decoration of a round dish there is only one point of contact at the start of the operation when the roller engages the dish in substantially tangential relationship; thereafter the roller is disposed chordal ly and engages the dish at opposite points upon the rim until it approaches tangency at the far side of the rim where the two opposed points of contact merge to a single local area as the roller leaves the dish rim.

While the method and apparatus of this invention are applicable to the decoration of metal Objects, molded plastic objects and the like, presenting rims definin a plane, ceramic articles, chinaware, glassware and the like sometimes become warped during firing and the yielding nature of the roller surface accommodates such variations without impairing the appearance of shadeposited film. Moreover, the technique is a particularly useful one because it enables articles to be handed which present fluted and configurated edges, as in some of the more" highly fashioned forms of dishes, cups and saucers.

The roller from which color is transferred to the dish rim may be a relatively soft rollof rubber, glycerine and glue, or the like, and itmay be operated by hand, with ink replenished on its surface at appropriate intervals by passing it across a plate containing an ink film, or the roller and dish may be caused to move linearly with respect to one another, the roller being rotated upon its own axis by appropriate mechanism or by traction on the rim.

From the foregoin discussion. of the principles of the present invention and the following detailed disclosure of representative embodiments of the improvement, those skilled in the art readily will comprehend the various modifications to which the invention is susceptible.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates the process of'passing the roller carrying the coloring material upon its surface over the edge of a plain rimmed dish-to establish a narrow band of color at the rim of the article.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 which shows the decoration of the rim of a dish having a fluted edge. I

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 2 showing the decoration of the mouth of a-cup.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a machine for practicing the invention automatically at a commercial production rate.

Figure 5' is a top plan view of the machine shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure ii-showing a modified form of decorating machine.

As shown in Figure l the article-being decorated is a conventional dinnerware dish having a rim orledge l at the upper periphery of which it is desiredto apply a narrow band of coloring material such as is indicated by the heavy black line 2. Forthis purpose a roller 3 having a fluid film or coating of" the decorating composition upon its outer surface is passed in a substantially diametric path over'the rim of the dish, starting, by way of example, at a point of engagement 4 and. eventually endingat a point of departure 5.

In this view the dish is moving relatively to the right and the roller is rotating in a counterclockwise direction about its own axis. Thus, this view shows the band of decoration 2 applied to the dish about half way around its periphery. The roller at the moment shown is engaging the dish at chordally opposed areas of contact which have diverged from one another from the starting point 4. As the roller moves beyond the half way mark across the dish these chordally opposed points converge toward one another and meet at the point of departure 5.

Both the resiliency of the roller surface and the downward pressure with which it engages the rim may affect the width of the band. In Figure 1 the roller is illustrated as having handles 6-6 at its opposite ends which may be held by the operator as the roller is passed over the dish rim. Only a slight pressure of contact is required to obtain suitable transfer of the color from the roller surface to the dish. This pressure usually is not sufficient to cause the dish to tilt even when the roller is first brought into engagement with its rim.

The operation shown in Figure 2 is the same as that shown in Figure l but the dish has its rim I configurated b the representative flutes 'I-'I. The roller engages this rim in the manner previously described and provides a band of the color of uniform width regardless of the irregularities provided by the fluting.

Likewise, in Figure 3, the roller engages the rim or mouth of a cup transferring thereto a narrow band or line of decorative appearance. In the chinaware business it has been conventional for many years to apply gold color bands on dishes of a modest price and otherwise undecorated. The present invention enables a pronounced increase in production to be obtained in the decorating step, which substantially reduces the labor and manufacturing costs. Moreover, th method is applicable to articles of oval, square, rectangular or such irregular contour that they cannot be rotated during decoration as was done sometimes in the past to facilitate the application of the color by means of a brush.

From the machine point of view the invention contemplates apparatus in which the roller is rotated on its own axis and moved linearl with respect'to the dish while the dish is stationary,

as well as apparatus in which the roller, rotatable upon its own axis, is held against linear movement while the dish is moved past it, on a conveyor. The latter type of arrangement is shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6, according to which the machine comprises an endless belt 8 sustained upon pulleys 9 and It. The belt furnishes the conveyor and support for the dishes which are indicated generally at II, and the belt passes underneath a. transfer roller I2 spaced above the belt a distance corresponding to the height of the dishes or articles to be decorated so that the roller successively engages their rims during belt movement.

In the machine shown in Figure 4 the portion of the belt which carries the dishes passes over a platform I3 which, if desirable, may be supported resiliently from a frame M, for instance, upon springs l5. This resilient mounting of the platform may be employed if there is variation in the overall height of the dishes of such a nature that the width of the color of the deposited band would not be regular and uniform from piece to piece. However, if the pieces being decorated are of uniform height then this resilient mountin need not be employed. A resilient support for the dishes also may be provided b employing a belt having sponge rubber surfaces to receive the ware. The platform I3 also furnishes a support for the belt which holds the dishes under the pressure of engagement therewith of the roller l 2.

For the purpose of furnishing and maintaining a film of coloring material upon the surface of the rolle I2, it is engaged by one roll of a pair of feed rolls [6 and I! which are in contact with one another and which therebetween provide a nip It. The mass of the coloring material, usually of a somewhat pasty or viscous consistency, is deposited in the nip I8 and, by virtue of the contact of the feed roll I6 with the roller I2, both feed rolls are rotated and a film of material is carried from the supply of color at the nip to the surface of the transfer roll I2. This arrangement is conventional in the printing arts and readily will be understood.

In the preferred construction of the machine shown in Figure 4 the transfer roll I2 is positively driven, for instance, from a belt l9 which extends therefrom to a pulley on the axle 20 of one of the conveyor pulleys III. The pulleys, shown diagrammatically in Figures 4 and 6, are of such ratio as to cause rotation of the roller at a surface speed in linear feet pe minute correspondin with the linear travel of the conveyor. Positive drive though frequently desirable is not necessary inasmuch as the roller l2, being freely rotatable upon its own axis, will be caused to rotate when it is engaged by and tracks upon the rim of the dish carried by the conveyor. However, if the decorating composition is of a sticky nature, as they sometimes are, sufficient resistance to free rotation may be encountered as to cause slippage of the roller on the dish rim or the dish upon its support, and such slippage is liable to cause a blemish in the band.

A compensating roller ZI is shown in Figure 4 in advance of the transfer roller l2. This roller may be employed for the purpose of preventing the dish from tilting under downward pressure at the outward or leading point of its edge which first engages the transfer roll. However, if the pressure of contact is not substantial, or if the dish or article of manufacture being decorated has straight or substantially straight side walls, like the cup shown in Figure 3, then tilting during the initial phase of the decorating operation presents no problem and the roller 2| may be omitted.

According to the modified form of machine shown in Figure 6, dishes having a base of very small diameter and a rim of very large diameter are supported in rings or cradles 22 which in turn are carried by the conveyor belt 8 for the purpose of preventing them from tilting during decoration. This machine has the same feed roll arrangement previously described and a similar supporting platen for the belt. The cradles or rings may be resilientl mounted or be made of rubber to furnish enough resiliency that yieldable mounting of the plate I3 is unnecessary even though the ware varies as to height or contour from piece to piece.

While the decoration of dishes and other articles of manufacture, such as glassware, pottery, plastic receptacles and the like has been disclosed herein to illustrate the practice of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that oval, rectangular and other shapes may be accommodated and decorated by the same technique.

t? at Having described my invention, I claim: ing movement of the roller in a direction substan- 1. The method of applying a band of color to tially diametrically of the article of manufacture the peripheral edge of a dish which comprises while the said roller straddles the edge of the contacting the edge of the dish with a roller of article of manufacture. sufficient length to straddle the edge of the dish 5 Ehe method of applying a band of coloring diametrically and bearing a film of co rial in fluid condition upon its surface, and passdish edge. such position that the rim is adapted to be straddled by said roller, and then bringing successive upper peripheral edge of a dish which comprises local areas upon the rim into contact with the contacting the said peripheral edge of the dish roller while the roller is rotating upon its own at one point thereon with a resilient roller of axis and is moving in a linear direction with greater length than the dish diameter and bearrespect to the article of manufacture. ing coloring material upon its surface, and then 6. A machine for decorating dishes, comprising effecting a relative movement between said dish a conveyor, an ink transferring roller mounted and said roller in a direction substantially diaabove said conveyor a distance corresponding to metrically ac oss said dish while said roller strad the height of the dishes to be decorated at the dies the dish edge and is rotating upon its own rim portions thereof, means for moving said conaxis, veyor, and a second roller spaced from the con- 3. A decorating machine comprising a rotat veyor a distance corresponding to the distance able roller, means for applying a film of coloring of the rst roller, the second roller being placed material upon the surface of the roller, a movin advance of the first roller so as to prevent the th said tipping of dishes which are mounted, face up,

able resilient support located undernea roller, and means for effecting a relative linear upon said conveyor as they pass underneath the movement of said support whereby a dish resting, sa d f st roller. face up, thereon is engaged at its upper periph- JAY H. KELLER. eral edge by said roller, the said roller being sufflciently long and being so positioned as to straddle REFERENCES @TEED the dish edge and thereby d po a na r w an The following references are of record in the of coloring material upon said upper peripheral file of this patent:

q x erglglearduiing advancement of the dish past the UNITED STATES PATENTS e. Amethod of placing a band of coloring mater Number Name Date rial of film form upon the peripheral edge of an 1,313,098 Leuniann Aug. 12,1919 article of manufacture, such a a ish or cup, 1,692,223 Huestis Oct. 5,1926 which comprises support ng the artic e of man 1,365,533 Bowman y 26,1931 ufactuie against tilting when a point on l'S 2,994,079 MGM-9111118 June 4,1935 peripheral edge 15 pressed upon, engaging a point it 2,915,659 Gravely et a1 Oct. 1, 1935 on the peripheral edge of the article of manufae- 2,145,320 Shaw an. 31, 19 ture with a roller presenting a resilient surface 2,164,244 g June 2'7, 1939 bearing a film of coloring material thereon with 2,133,054 Earl at a Dec. 12, 1939 the said roller being greater in length than the 2,365,775 Punte Dec. 26,1944 diameter of the article, and tracking t roller 2 uthrie Jan. 23,1945

upon the edge of the article of manufacture dur- 

